Kojiro of the Fuma Clan: The Final Chapter, Fuma Rebellion - A Thorough Analysis of the Moving Climax and Profound Themes

Kojiro of the Fuma clan: The Final Chapter - The Fuma Rebellion

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

November 21, 1992

■Release and sales

・Distributor: Sony Music Entertainment

■Frequencies

50 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Masami Kurumada

■ Director

Hidehito Ueda

■ Production

Animation production: Animate Film Production cooperation: JCSTAFF

■Works

©Masami Kurumada/Shueisha, CBS Sony Group, Movic

■ Story

It has been several months since the end of the Holy Sword War, when Kojiro and Ryuma went missing. The Shimon clan, the surviving members of the Fuuma clan, who were supposed to have been wiped out by Kaakusou, rebel and seek to destroy their clan, who do not suit their will. In order to save Koryu and his friends, who are in danger after being attacked by the new Fuuma clan, Kojiro and Ryuma are resurrected and confront Shimon.

■Explanation

This original work by Masami Kurumada was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1983 to 1984, and is now an OVA adaptation. It is a trilogy consisting of the Yasha Arc (episodes 1-6), the Holy Sword War Arc (episodes 7-12), and the Fuuma Rebellion Arc (episode 13), with some of the staff changing for each series. This is the final episode of the series. It is a battle story that combines school drama and ninja action, and was also made into a live-action TV drama in 2007.

■Cast

・Kojiro/Keiichi Nanba・Ryūma/Hideyuki Hori・Kirikaze/Nobuo Tobita・Liu Peng/Yusaku Yara・Hanyu/Shigeru Nakahara・Shoryu/Shigeru Nakahara・Commander Fuuma/Hideyuki Tanaka・Shimon/Kenyu Horiuchi・Yuma/Tomoyuki Morikawa・Rain/Junichi Sugawara

■ Main staff

・Director: Hidehito Ueda
・Original story by Masami Kurumada
・Written by: Takao Koyama
・Character design: Shingo Araki, Michi Himeno
・Art director/Noriko Tsutsui
Director of photography: Tsugio Ozawa
Special effects: Abe Go
Edited by Shuichi Kakesu and Shigeaki Wada
・Sound Director: Jun Watanabe
Effects by Daisuke Jinbo
・Adjustment: Keisuke Tsuruta
・Music: Toshiro Imaizumi
・Animation production: Animate Film
・Production cooperation: JCSTAFF
Screenplay: Motonori Tachikawa and Tomoyuki Machida
・Storyboard/Ueda Hidehito
Directed by Yoshinori Nakamura and Nanako Shimazaki
Animation Director: Shingo Araki, Michi Himeno, Mitsuharu Kajitani
・OP1
・"Wind Warrior"
Lyrics: Masami Kurumada; Composition: Toshiro Imaizumi; Arrangement: Toshiro Imaizumi; Performance: Toshiro Imaizumi; Singer: Hidemi Miura; ED1
"That day in the wind..."
Lyrics by Masami Kurumada; Music by Toshiro Imaizumi; Arrangement by Toshiro Imaizumi; Performance by Toshiro Imaizumi; Vocals by Hidemi Miura

■ Main Characters

Kojiro: A warrior of the Fuuma clan. He is one of the five strongest Fuuma people, possessing outstanding physical abilities and hidden potential. After the Holy Sword War, his whereabouts were unknown.
・Ryūma A warrior of the Fuuma clan, nicknamed "The One-Eyed Dragon of Fuuma." He is mind-controlled by Shimon and attacks his comrade, Koryū.
A warrior of the Fuuma clan who controls the Kirikaze Kiri. He clashes with Ryuuma due to Shimon's mental control. He commits suicide to release Shimon's magic.
・The younger brother of Xiaolong Xiangyu. He was the first to realize that his companions were being controlled by incubus.
He plots to take over the Fuuma clan in order to dominate the world of Shimon Ninja. He is a genius at mind control, able to control all members of the "New Fuuma Clan."

■Subtitle

Episode 13: The Final Chapter: Fuuma Rebellion

■ Related works

・OVA "Kojiro the Fuma Demon: Yasha Chapter"
・OVA "Kojiro of the Fuma Clan: Holy Sword War"

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・"Wind Warrior"
Lyrics: Masami Kurumada; Composition: Toshiro Imaizumi; Arrangement: Toshiro Imaizumi; Performance: Toshiro Imaizumi; Singer: Hidemi Miura; ED1
"That day in the wind..."
Lyrics by Masami Kurumada; Music by Toshiro Imaizumi; Arrangement by Toshiro Imaizumi; Performance by Toshiro Imaizumi; Vocals by Hidemi Miura

Kojiro of the Fuma Clan: The Fuma Rebellion - Detailed Review and Recommendation

"Kojiro the Fuma: The Final Chapter - The Fuma Rebellion" is the final chapter of the OVA series based on the original work by Masami Kurumada, and was released in 1992. This OVA has a unique worldview that combines ninja action and school drama, and has been highly praised by fans. Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of this work.

Story and Characters

"Kojiro of the Fuuma Clan: Final Chapter - Fuuma Rebellion" is set in a world after the end of the Holy Sword War. A few months after the protagonists Kojiro and Ryuma go missing, Shimon, a surviving member of the Fuuma Clan, starts a rebellion under the banner of a "New Fuuma Clan." As Koryu and his friends are put in danger by this rebellion, Kojiro and Ryuma are resurrected and confront Shimon.

Kojiro is a warrior of the Fuuma clan, and a character with excellent physical abilities and potential. His revival, whose whereabouts were unknown after the Holy Sword War, is an important element in building up excitement for the climax of the story. Meanwhile, Ryuma is a warrior nicknamed the "Fuma One-Eyed Dragon," and plays a tragic role in being mind-controlled by Shimon and attacking his comrades. The dramatic development of these characters leaves a strong impression on the viewer.

Characters such as Kirikaze, Koryu, and Shimon also play important roles in adding excitement to the story. Kirikaze is a warrior who can control fog, and in one dramatic scene he commits suicide to save his comrades from Shimon's mental control. Koryu is Xiang Yu's younger brother, and is a character with keen insight who quickly realizes that his comrades are being controlled mentally. Shimon is an ambitious man who wants to dominate the world of ninjas, and is portrayed as a genius at mind control who uses mind control to manipulate the "New Fuuma Clan." The personalities and drama of these characters add depth and suspense to the story.

Animation and performance

The animation for this work was produced in collaboration with Animate Film and JCSTAFF. The director is Hidehito Ueda, and the character designs are by Shingo Araki and Michi Himeno. The collaboration between these staff members has allowed the production to faithfully recreate the worldview of the original work while also achieving a unique visual expression.

In particular, the direction of the battle scenes is superb, with the movements of Kojiro and Ryuma depicted dynamically. The scene where Kirikaze manipulates the mist and the visual depiction of Shimon's mind control are also impressive and make a visual impact. Additionally, the background art by art director Noriko Tsutsui is beautiful, enhancing the atmosphere of the story.

In terms of sound, sound effects and music by sound director Jun Watanabe add excitement to the story. Toshiro Imaizumi's music effectively creates tension and dramatic developments in the battle scenes. In particular, the opening theme "Warrior of the Wind" and the ending theme "Ano Hi Kaze no Naka de..." are sung by Hidemi Miura, deepening the worldview of the work.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Kojiro the Fuma: The Final Chapter - The Fuma Rebellion" is a work with a unique worldview that combines ninja action and school drama, and has been highly praised by fans. In particular, the dramatic development of the characters and the dynamic direction of the battle scenes leave a strong impression on viewers. In addition, the beautiful background art and effective music also enhance the appeal of the work.

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• A fusion of ninja action and school drama: This work is a clever fusion of ninja action and school drama, providing viewers with a fresh experience.
• Dramatic development of characters: The dramatic development of characters such as Kojiro, Ryuma, Kirikaze, Koryu, and Shimon encourages the viewer to empathize strongly with them.
• Dynamic Fighting Scenes: The fight scenes are well-staged and visually impactful.
• Beautiful background art and effective music: The background art and music enhance the atmosphere of the story and deepen the worldview of the work.

"Kojiro the Fuma Clan: The Final Chapter - The Fuma Rebellion" is a work that I would especially recommend to those who like ninja action and school drama, and to fans of Masami Kurumada's original work. It is also recommended for those who want to enjoy the entire series as the final chapter of the OVA series. Please watch this work and experience the dramatic story of the Fuma clan warriors.